Demonstrating indicator for airmethod cleaners



1943- v D. a. REPLOGLE 2,335,885

DEMONSTRATING INDICATOR FOR AIR-METHOD CLEANERS I Fil'ed May 26, 1941Patented Dec. 7, 1943 DEMON STRATING INDICATOR FOR AIR- 2 METHODCLEANERS Daniel Benson Replogle, Berkeley, Calif., Bank of AmericaNational Trust & Savings Association, Carl S. Replogle, Harold E. Queen,and Laurie H. Bullock executors of said Daniel Benson Replogle,deceased; assignors to The Ohio Citizens Trust Company, Toledo, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio, as trustee Application May 26, 1941, Serial No.395,320

' 1 Claim.

directing the air stream both tangentially into the valve member andupwardly toward the transparent cover portion thereof, and only onesource of air suction is cooperative with it. Furthermore, the presentdevice is designed to be used on any air suction pipe of any type ofcleaning system.

The particular objects of the present invention are:

To simplify the construction of such indicators; to adapt suchindicators to the purpose of demonstrating the character of matter drawnthrough the system on which it is used; to demonstrate the relativevalues of nozzles or floor tools to be used in the system, and otherobjects as may appear.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a front or top view of my indicator.

Fig. 2 shows an exploded view taken at right angles to that of Fig. 1,wherein the valve members and the screen in their relative order areshown.

Fig. 3 is an alternative form for the device shown in Fig. 1 where thecap-receiving member has integral with it a tubular outlet set at anangle with the inlet, suitable for using the device with one edge uprather than the face upwards.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the indicator of Fig. 3, but shown inreversed position.

Fig. 5 illustrates a cross section taken on the line 5-5 of either Figs.1 or 3 wherein a projection is shown as integral with the wall of theincoming tube so as to direct the current upward toward the window ofthe device. This projection is a substitute for the lip which was shownin my previous applications.

Fig. 6 illustrates a source of suction which may be stationary orsemi-stationary.

Fig. 7 illustrates the application of the device shown in Fig. 1 to asuction cleaning system.

Fig. 8 shows a similar system in connection with the alternative form ofdevice shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to the diagrammatic assemblyshown in Fig. 7, A designates a floor tool of any suitable constructionsuch as that shown in my Patent No. 1,994,868 dated March 19, 1935. Bdenotes a narrow tube or hollow wand which may be formed of hard fiberor like material one end of which may be detachably connected to thefloor tool A and the other to the inlet pipe indicator 0. The outletpipe of the indicator C is connected through a flexible pipe Dor thelike with a suitable source of suction such as the combined pump andfilter indicated at E in Fig. 6.

The indicator 0, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, comprises a cylindricalcasing I0 which may be formed of metal or plastic material such asBakelite or the like. The intake pipe II of the casing It may beconnected to the tube B by shrinking the tube on to the pipe asdisclosed in my Patents No. 2,142,149 and No. 2,142,150 dated January 3,1939.

According to the present invention the inlet pipe II enters the casingI0 tangentially as illustrated at I2 in Fig. 1 and is also up-curvedasindicated at I3 in Figs. 2 and 5, to direct the dust onto the windowof the indicator.

A suitable outlet pipe I4 leads from the bottom of the casing I0 and isconnected either directly or through suitable attaching means with theflexible tube D. Preferably a screen I5 is provided which fits over theoutlet opening 20 in the bottom of the casing I0 and serves to preventpassage of larger objects. The screen is provided with a suitable baseIt which fits snugly within the casing.

The indicator C is provided with a rotatable top or cover which includesa skirt portion I'l adapted to fit within th cylindrical body portionIll. The skirt I1 is provided with an opening I8 adapted to registerwith the inlet opening I9 in the casing II] when the arrow 24 isdirected toward the inlet pipe II as indicated in full lines in Fig. 1.The top or cover member is provided with a transparent window 2| whichmay be of any suitable material such as glass, Celluloid or one of thetransparent plastics such as vinyllte or thelike. As shown, the windowportion is provided with a peripheral flange 22 which insures accuratefitting of the cover and assists in removal thereof. The screen I5 mayalso be provided with a suitable handle or projection 23 to assist inremoval.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 8 a construction is shown similar to that shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 7, except that in the modification the outlet pipe Ma isset at an angle to the inlet pipe I la.

When using the device in the upside down form, or position as shown inFig. 4, all grit and heavy matter will land and whirl around on thetransparent lid of the device, whereas lint and light dirt may be suckedthrough the screen or sucked fast to it. Using this with one floor toolor another, the indicator will show which one of the two gets the mostlint and which gets the most grit, also Whether or not one of them istaxing the carpet too much by removing from it the nap which isnecessary for its beauty and comfort. The screen in the present casereferred to is liftable by the little Wire loop 23 shown in Fig. 2 sothat the screen is placed in the bottom of the well and the cap, nothaving so large a lip as heretofore shown on the lower periphery, willhold this screen in place when the device is being used. The suctionalways being inward, the cap will never have a tendency to lift up aswas the case in prior devices when the bag was clogged.

The incoming stream, besides being tagential to cause an intensivewhirl, has a slight projection in the molding or casting at the entranceof the cap which throws the current upward against the window of thedevice, or downward as the case may be depending on which way the deviceis turned.

Also, a very important feature of this present device is that when thecap is turned to the left, that is, counterclockwise, partly coveringthe hole I9 of the tangential entrance, a violent re-whirling in theopposite direction will take place. If the screen is not used, this hasthe effect of absolutely clearing the accumulated whirling dirt,

'50 that it may be used vfor a demonstration without the use, of course,of the screen, the purpose of which is to detect the presence of lint,wool or nap in the air stream, and also to retrieve buttons, jewelry,trinkets or the like picked up by the cleaner.

The improved indicator is very effective. It is found that by bringingthe stream of dust laden air in tangentially and somewhat upwardlyinclined, that the grit is thrown in a path around the circle under thetransparent cap, and if the screen is used, all of the wool except thefine 10 broken parts will be caught on this screen, While,

if the article is held in the inverted position, the grit will whirlaround in the cap and be entirely separated from-accumulations on thescreen.

The invention has been described in detail for v the purpose ofillustration but it will be understood that numerous modifications andvariations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

I claim:

For use in a suction cleaning system including a plurality of tubularsections; a dust flow indicator adapted to be operably connected betweenadjacent sections of said system, said indicator comprising acylindrical casing having a lateral 5 inlet for dust laden air inclinedtangentially with reference to the curvature of the casing, an outletleading from said casing, and a rotatable cap-shaped cover memberincluding a skirt portion adapted to fit within the cylindrical casing,and having an opening adapted to be brought into or out of complete orpartial registry with said tangential opening by switch rotation of thecap, said cap member including a transparent cover portion connected tothe skirt;

the tangential inlet to said casing being also inclined toward saidcover portion so that dust laden air entering from said inlet will bedirected toward said transparent cover portion and, given a rotarymovement when the opening in said skirt is brought into registry withthe casing inlet.

DANIEL BENSON REPLOGLE.

